As Subaru entered the rift, like a crack in space, he found himself surrounded by a swirling, deep blue void. The energy twisted and twirled around him, carrying him forward through space, even though he remained perfectly still.
He idly noted that it was similar to his teleportation, at least in principle.
The sensation didn't last long. Soon, the swirling blue gave way to an empty darkness, swallowing everything in sight. Blinking, Subaru realized he was back in his body, staring at the ceiling above.
'I'm back!' he thought, rising to his feet and brushing off his clothes. He flexed his fingers, rolled his shoulders, and took a deep breath—he could feel everything again.
The lightness in the air he had experienced before was gone, replaced by the familiar density of mana-rich air. A cold, heavy atmosphere settled around him, far from the warmth and gentleness of where he had just been. Yet, somehow, this felt more natural. More right.
"Well, I guess Echidna was telling the truth," he muttered to himself, inspecting his body for any signs of damage—magical or physical—but finding nothing.
If his soul had been ripped from his body and he had genuinely died, that would have been the lamest possible ending for the world's strongest jujutsu sorcerer, right behind dying of old age.
Unless, of course, the latter befell the Jujutsu Higher-ups or the council of senile men. Then, it would actually be quite entertaining.
Shaking his head to clear away unnecessary thoughts, Subaru refocused. His mind retraced the events of the last few minutes—and, more importantly, the woman he had just met.
"Echidna…"
The name lingered on his tongue, bringing an unfamiliar flavor with it, as the image of that woman flashed in his mind.
He truly didn't know what to think of Echidna, the Witch of Greed—what opinion he held of her or what her true intentions were.
On one hand, he was wary and suspicious, as was only natural. After all, she was a witch—a self-proclaimed evil one, no less.
Despite her friendly and polite demeanor, something about her felt off. It was as if she were putting on an act, or more specifically, it wasn't entirely genuine. And the way her behavior changed when he called her a "Nasty Pervert" or when she was questioned about Satella hinted at something beneath the surface.
And then there was the way she spoke. It gave him the impression that she knew him, that she had met him before.
Which was evident by the speech about him being desirable, about how she could never comprehend him nor predict him, felt passionate yet out of place. While he wanted to dismiss it as the ramblings of a lonely witch, something about her words resonated with him in ways he couldn't quite explain.
But, on the other hand, she didn't seem entirely deceitful. She was courteous, even going out of her way to extend an olive branch to build trust between them.
She answered every question. Even seemed genuinely dismayed at the prospect of him leaving.
She even helped him by lending him healing energy to stabilize the Sloth witch factor inside him.
As Subaru walked toward the exit, these thoughts ran through his mind. The remainder of the witch factor made a deep frown settle on his face.
If Subaru was honest, the thought of that disgusting presence forcing its way into his Od—his very soul—made his skin crawl, his toes curl, and the hairs on his neck stand on end.
He felt utterly violated. Deeply. As though something dark and toxic had seeped into his essence, corrupting it into something grotesque.
And then, there was the realization, the repulsive fact that he now shared something in common with Betelgeuse, the Archbishop of Sloth of all people. That repulsive, deranged madman. The very person he had wanted nothing to do with.
'I still don't understand how it happened,' Subaru thought grimly. 'Blue should have pulled in the Od and destroyed it, and should've destroyed the Witch Factor as well. That's why I aimed there in the first place.'
The sheer sight of something so repulsive—that his own Six Eyes couldn't even comprehend it—had compelled him to destroy it on sight.
But that plan had failed.
And now, one of those things was actively merging with him.
Maybe he should use Hollow Purple instead? That was his strongest attack, and it should have been enough to dispose of them. He'd have to test it the next time he encountered an archbishop.
As the mana slowly faded and the first rays of light broke through, relief flooded him. He had to go out there, find everyone, make sure his negligence didn't put them at risk.
And he needed to clear his mind, to see what he could do about the witch factor, and if it was impossible to remove, make peace with the fact that he had to live with one. It was part of the reason he had asked to leave in the first place.
Yet, regardless of whether Echidna was truly an ally or someone concealing ulterior motives, one thing was clear.
Their conversation was far from over.
He stepped out of the ruins, squinting against the bright sunlight. The sun remained high in the sky, indicating that he had only been inside for a few minutes at most. That meant he hadn't lost too much time. There was still a chance to find everyone.
Before he could set off, his eyes caught movement ahead—a flash of familiar blue hair approaching him.
"Rem!" he called, relief surging through him at the sight of the oni-maid, who smiled warmly at his appearance.
"Subaru-kun!" Rem exclaimed, her expression lighting up upon seeing him safe and sound. "Rem is so relieved to finally find you—!"
She barely finished her sentence before Subaru closed the distance in an instant, sweeping her into a tight, back-breaking hug.
"S-S-Subaru—?!" Rem stammered, shocked by the sudden and tight embrace. Not that she minded—the color flooding her cheeks spoke volumes.
"Rem! Thank god you're okay! I didn't know what I would do if you were hurt," he breathed, clutching her tightly before finally letting go.
"How did you find me? What about Otto and Emilia? Are they with you? Were you teleported with them? Are they safe?" he asked, hands gripping her shoulders as urgency took over.
Rem, her face still flushed, had to blink rapidly and shake herself out of her daze before responding.
"Rem is very familiar with Subaru-kun's scent, so she used it to track him down," she explained. "Unfortunately, Rem was separated from everyone, so she doesn't know where Emilia-sama or Otto-san are."
Subaru nodded along as he listened to her words. Normally, He might have questioned how and why she knew his scent that well, but given the circumstances, he was only grateful for it.
"It's good that you found me, Rem. Now that you're here, we can focus on finding the rest," Subaru said.
"The rest? Emilia-sama and Otto-san aren't with you?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"No, I was looking for them until I stumbled upon this place." He gestured toward the ruins. "I searched inside, but they weren't there, so I stepped outside and—well, you know the rest."
He omitted his encounter with the witch, just as she had asked him to. While he could have shared it, he didn't want to disregard her request and risk unforeseen consequences.
"That's unfortunate, but maybe they weren't teleported too far? Rem didn't need to search long before she found you. Maybe they were sent together?" Rem suggested.
"I can only hope so, Rem. I just pray none of them are hurt, or else I—" He paused, clenching his fists as the one behind this mess appeared in his mind.
"Subaru-kun? Are you alright?" Rem asked, concerned about crossing her features as she noticed his tense posture and anger rising.
"Rem," he said, his tone firm, "I think this entire mess was a setup by Frederica."
Rem's expression shifted to confusion and concern. "A setup? What do you mean?"
Subaru continued, "Just think about it. We spent the whole day helping Frederica yesterday, but she never once mentioned anything about the sanctuary or the barrier, until Emilia was left alone right before we left. Doesn't that seem strange?"
"Yes, that's—"
"And that necklace was supposed to let Emilia pass through the barrier safely, but instead, it knocked her out and teleported all of us away, separating us in this forest."
"O-oh, but—"
"So tell me, Rem. Doesn't this feel like a setup? It's obvious Frederica has some kind of hidden motive when it comes to Emilia. Maybe she wants to hurt her, or worse, kill her! Think about it, Rem! And she could also—"
Subaru's words spilled out in a relentless stream, his mind racing through every suspicion he had about the demi-human maid. He went on and on about the possible dangers Emilia and Otto were facing. Rem tried to interject, but with no room to speak, she opted to remain silent and listen, though a deep frown settled on her face.
When he finally stopped, his breathing was ragged, his fists clenched tight, and a faint flush burned on his cheeks. He had gotten more worked up the more he talked.
Once the silence stretched between them, Rem finally spoke. "Subaru-kun, Rem understands the dangers Emilia-sama and Otto-san are facing. And Rem knows how much her hero worries for their well being."
Subaru opened his mouth to agree, but Rem didn't let him.
Her eyes, usually so gentle, held an uncharacteristic disapproval.
"What Rem cannot understand, nor accept, is Subaru-kun's fear and paranoia leading him to rash actions and making him accuse Frederica-san without evidence, or the unjust hostility he is showing toward her."
Subaru felt like he had been slapped, and the worst part was that it was Rem of all people.
He could admit he hadn't known her for long, only about a month, but never once had she shown disapproval toward something he did.
"What—Rem… Did you not hear anything I just said? Frederica is our enemy! This is a trap! It has to be!" he insisted, his voice edged with frustration.
But the maid simply shook her head.
"Subaru-kun, Rem understands what you are trying to convey, but will you please listen to what she has to say?" she asked gently.
Subaru wanted to argue, but the look on her face made him stop.
"Alright, alright. You can say your piece. I promise I won't interrupt," he relented, and Rem smiled in gratitude.
"Rem knows her hero is very suspicious of Frederica-san, since he has only just met her, but he shouldn't be quick to judge her so quickly," she said, her voice soft but firm.
She hesitated briefly before continuing, her expression tinged with sadness.
"Isn't that what Subaru-kun wanted Rem to learn after she foolishly attacked him? To listen and search for the facts instead of judging and acting based on emotions alone?"
Subaru felt a lump in his throat.
She was right; this was indeed the lesson he hoped she would learn following the Mabeast incident.
Now, however, he found his own lesson being turned back on him. He didn't need anyone to point out the irony of it all.
"After our home was destroyed, Rem and her sister met Frederica-san when we began working for Roswaal-sama. She had been with us for many years. We grew up together. We know her well."
"Frederica-san is kind, gentle, and hardworking. She taught and guided both Rem and Nee-sama, showing us how to be noble maids so that we could serve Roswaal-sama with the utmost diligence and reach where we are today."
"Rem understands that Subaru-kun has raised some valid concerns, but Rem is inclined to believe there may be some misunderstandings rather than Frederica acting with ill intent."
Rem gently placed a hand on Subaru's shoulder. "Subaru-kun is worried about Emilia-sama and Otto-san, and Rem feels the same way. But she asks him not to be rash toward Frederica-san and to withhold judgment until he fully understands everything."
Subaru remained silent, absorbing Rem's words. The maid, her hand still resting on his shoulder, searched his expression, but his face remained unreadable, his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses.
Then, slowly, he pushed his glasses down, revealing his eyes to Rem. She felt a slight blush creep onto her cheeks beneath the intensity of his ethereal gaze—but finally, she understood the emotions in them.
Pride and shame.
"Look at you," Subaru said, his voice brimming with admiration. "From the impulsive girl who attacked me to the woman you are now. You've grown, Rem, and I'm proud of you."
He rubbed her head gently, and she basked in the warmth of his words, savoring the affection in his gesture.
"Of course, she has! Rem has learned from the best," she replied, matching the pride in his tone.
Subaru looked away, scratching his head. "And I guess you're right. I kinda jumped the gun on my accusation, didn't I?"
He turned back to her, sighing. "Sorry, Rem. It's just… a lot of stuff has happened to me recently, and with little to process them, and i'm on edge because of them."
Seeing the flicker of shame in his eyes, Rem gently took hold of his hands, guiding his gaze back to her.
"Rem may not understand everything her hero has been through, but she will always stand by his side to comfort him in his time of need," she said softly, a bright smile forming on her lips.
Then, her expression turned playful. "Now, wipe that look off your face, Subaru-kun. Rem hates it—it doesn't suit her hero. Let's go find Emilia-sama and Otto-san. They still need our help!"
Subaru matched her smile with one just as radiant, determination now the dominant feature on his face. "You're right, Rem! We've wasted too much time; let's go!"
And so, the two of them headed into the forest in search of their friends.